“Miss Willow Elkridge is a woman of color, yet you say that you respect her. I believe that you mean it.”
“I do.”
“Do your beliefs extend to those in bondage, or just to beautiful young women who please your fancy?”
Thor nodded in response and in understanding. His eyes narrowed as he gave the reverend a long, hard look. The questions hadn’t been asked out of idle boredom, and now Thor was curious. After a quick glance around the woods, he moved closer to Brown and quietly asked, “Are you an abolitionist, Reverend, or are you more than that?”
Reverend Brown walked around the wagon. Thor followed him. When Brown reached the wagon, he grabbed the reins and climbed onto the seat. Looking down, he smiled.
“I think you already know the answer. I had my doubts about you at first, but my eyes are opening. The good Lord sent you this way for a reason. If you’re looking for answers, come by my place tomorrow. Willow will show you the way. Giddy-up!”
The man, his horses and wagon disappeared into the woods with Thor staring after them. A chill of anticipation swept through his body.
Tomorrow.
Chapter Four
Willow set the lit lantern on the floor of the porch and placed her book of sonnets, notepad, and pencil beside it. Careful of the lamp, she padded in sock-covered feet to the porch’s edge. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the night. This was her favorite time. Dark and quiet, the world slept while nature came to life.
A blanket of stars glittered in the sky, illuminating the forest’s antsy critters. A distant owl hooted to his friends, and a wolf called to its pack. In the underbrush, crickets chirped their songs, eagerly adding to the night’s melody. Even the pigs, a few yards away, joined in. When the sounds came together so beautifully, the velvety warmth of tranquility wrapped around Willow, almost making her forget the world around her and the lack of peace it held.
Her mouth twisted into a wry smile. Even if she wanted to, she could not forget. Turmoil and danger were her constant companions. Her life in the small community a few miles north of Canton was fairly safe, but hazardous pitfalls loomed outside the boundaries.
The cloak of night protected her and the small number of people the Browns allowed her to assist on their road to freedom, while the light of day presented the chance of exposure and punishment. Her thoughts were constantly haunted with longing for the day when all of God’s people would be free.
A sudden tingling sensation crept over her. Pulling her shawl close around her shoulders, she opened her eyes to find Thor watching her. Stepping back, her lips parted in surprise.
“I thought you were settled in the barn. Miss Eva has another quilt if you need one.”
“Wait,” he called when she turned to open the door. “I don’t need extra cover. It’s warm enough.”
She tilted her head in a nod. Her gaze wandered over him from head to toe before she faced his piercing stare. His clothing seemed to mold to his flesh. Awareness of his masculinity, the breadth of his chest, the corded muscles in his neck and the thickness of his thighs made her mouth go dry. Her pulse raced, and she swallowed hard to ease the dryness of her throat.
“Mr. Anders’s pants and shirt were a perfect fit. Are the shoes comfortable?”
“Everything’s fine.” He took a step toward her as he pointed at the steps. “May I join you? I see you have your studies; I don’t want to disturb you.”
“No, please.”
She inhaled deeply to calm her racing heart, but the opposite happened. His woodsy scent filled her senses and nearly blinded her to everything else. She felt lightheaded, hot, and out of sorts. None of that warranted sending him away.
“You’re not disturbing me.”
She claimed the space beside the lantern and her materials. Trying desperately to ignore him and her frightening reaction to him, her fingers fumbled with the book while she busied herself.
He lowered himself to the bottom step. Moonlight cast a shimmering glow over his face. Dim shadows hid the rest of him. He spoke to her in a deep, husky whisper. “What are you studying?”
“I’m reading the sonnets by Mr. William Shakespeare.”
“Oh, really?” A curious smile appeared on his face. “I read a few of his plays in college. I’ve even seen a couple of them performed.”
“Do tell!” Excitement and wonder coursed through her. She leaned toward him without realizing it. “Miss Olivia said that she saw the like up in Boston. She said there was a stage and an orchestra played in the pit below, and the costumes were beautiful.” She sighed wistfully. “And at the end, the audience stood up and clapped for at least five minutes. It sounded wonderful. Did you enjoy it?”
A hint of sadness flashed in his eyes. His mouth tightened slightly, and he shook his head. “Not as much as I should have. Next time, I’ll be more attentive.” He looked away from her for a moment toward the sky. He took a deep breath and sighed. “Tonight is nice, isn’t it?”
His behavior baffled her. He seemed upset, but Willow wasn’t sure what caused it. Had her words upset him?
“Very. No clouds in the sky to hide the stars. I love nights like this.” She spoke softly, hoping to ease the tension between them.
“So, do I.” Thor leveled his gaze on her and gave her a smile that warmed her down to her toes. He pointed at her book, and she handed it to him. As he thumbed through the pages, he asked, “Do you have a favorite?”
“I like Sonnet Twenty-seven,” she said with a shy smile.
He turned the pages until he found it. Then he handed the book to her. “Would you read it to me?” When she hesitated, he added, “Please.”
“Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed…” She read the words slowly at first, nervous at reading aloud for a stranger. As she reached the middle of the poem, her voice became stronger and her shyness faded. Glancing at his reaction, she saw that the words touched him, and when she came to the sonnet’s end, the remainder of her timidity disappeared altogether. “ ‘…For thee, and for myself, no quiet find.’ ”
“I liked it. Your presentation was impeccable.”
Her face grew hot at his bold compliment. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I suppose I have taken enough of your time.” He moved to rise but stopped. “What is it? Is something wrong?”
“I just…well, you weren’t fooling with me about being from the future, were you?”
He stood and moved up the steps to sit beside her. His expression darkened with heartfelt intensity. “No, Willow, I was telling you the truth. I’m not from this time.”
“I didn’t think so. You were polite, even if you were a might brash.” She laughed softly and then lowered her head, observing him through lowered lashes. “You truly treated me like a woman. I thought you were making fun at first, but then I could see that it was your way.”
His fingers brushed gently against her cheeks then slid underneath her chin. With tenderness, he tilted her head so that their eyes met. “You
are
a woman. I treat
all
women with respect, Willow. I would never make fun of you.”
He pulled his hand away. The loss of his touch created an immediate void, leaving her empty and cold. “Is the future so different? Is that why you can say those kinds of things to me?”
Dots of scarlet stained his tan cheeks. A faint smile tugged his mouth, and then his expression became solemn. “The future is a different place in some ways and still the same in others.”
“How?” She leaned toward him. “Please, tell me that things will be better than this.”
“Life will be better. Slavery will end, but not before the death of thousands.”
“Oh, my!” she gasped, a hand covering her mouth. “When will this happen?”
A frown darkened his brow. A muscle flicked rapidly at his jaw. “I’m not sure if I should say. I saw a movie this summer with my brother. A kid went back in time and wrecked havoc on his parents’ lives. He did and said some things he shouldn’t have. It was just a movie, a fantasy really, but a lot of it made sense. There’s the time space continuum to think about.”
She listened closely, but his words left her confused. Her voice quivered with bafflement. “I don’t understand; a movie? What is a time space continuum?”
He took in a deep breath. “I’m sorry about that. I was talking about a movie I saw and…you have no idea what I’m saying. You don’t know what a movie is, and as much as I’d love to explain it, I probably shouldn’t. I wish I could, but I have to be careful.” His knuckles grazed her cheek. “What if something changes because of what I’ve said to you or what I’ve done?”
“Something has already changed,” she whispered. His gentle touch filled her with longing. She reached out and clutched his hands. “I feel like I’ve changed. I feel things I’ve never felt before.”
He looked down at their hands, turning them until their fingers entwined. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?”
“No.”
He tilted his head to look at her. “I’m afraid of you,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Of me? Why?”
He shook his head and refused to answer. “I don’t know why I’m here, and until I do, I have to be careful.” He pulled his fingers free and raised her hand to his mouth. His lips brushed against her knuckles, and then he lowered her hand to her lap. “Goodnight, Willow.”
“Goodnight, Thor,” she whispered to his retreating back.
* * *
The rhythmic pounding of the hammer rattled the windows. Willow jumped at each heavy thud. A sleepless night set her nerves on edge, and the constant noise only added to her irritation. She removed her spectacles to rub her tired eyes.
Ignorant of Willow’s plight, Eva greeted the morning with happiness and looked out the window with the curiosity of a child. Holding the curtain aside with one hand, she beckoned to Willow with the other. “Come look. Do you suppose Thor has any idea what he’s doing?”
Willow pushed her eyeglasses back on and joined Eva at the window. “I suppose he does,” she mumbled, hungrily drinking in the sight of him.
Thor’s sandy brown hair curled and clung against his forehead. The muscles in his arm bunched and relaxed with his movements. His hand was steady and sure with each strike of the hammer onto the nail. His concentration focused intently on his task, and she remembered how he had focused on her the night before.
For a moment, she envied his project for having his complete attention. Instant shame washed over.
Imagine being jealous over wood, a hammer and nails!
Abruptly, she turned from the window and began cleaning up the breakfast dishes.
“You’re in a mood this morning.” Eva closed the curtain to look at Willow. She pressed her hand against the small of her back and wobbled to the table. “I imagine you’re tired of having to clean up after me. I can finish. I never expected you to do so much.”
“No, Miss Eva. I’m not upset about doing this. I don’t mind. Besides, you’ll have plenty enough to do when that baby arrives. Cooking a few meals and washing some dishes don’t really compare.”
“I’m so happy that Anders changed his mind about moving away.” Eva took her sewing box and moved to the rocking chair near the fireplace. “I couldn’t imagine having the baby without you and Miss Olivia around to help me.”
Willow paused in wiping off the table to smile at Eva. “We’re happy that you stayed, too. Reverend Brown was afraid that he’d have to talk some sense into Mr. Anders otherwise.”
“No!” Eva exclaimed with a laugh. “We’re all fortunate that never took place. I declare, in some instances, Anders holds dear to every word the Reverend says, but in others, he closes his ears. He wouldn’t have taken kindly to being told what to do. He’ll listen to Reverend Brown in matters of religion and the good Lord, but Anders is much too stubborn to allow anyone to dictate our lives. It’s a good thing the good Lord blessed us with another chance.”
Willow nodded in agreement. “The reverend says He moves in mysterious ways. It was for you to stay.”
“I always felt it was.” Eva riffled through her sewing box until she found the piece she wanted to work on. A shift small enough for a baby, but large enough to see the child through several growth spurts. As she threaded her needle, she said, “He will move for you, too.”
“Who will?” Willow asked. Now that she was done with cleaning the dishes, she moved toward the window again. The hammering tapered off, and she wondered what Thor was doing. If he was looking for his pocket watch again, hoping that it would take him back to his time and his world.
“The Lord will. He’s given me a family. He will do the same for you.”
Willow sighed and turned away from the window. “Now, Miss Eva…”
“Don’t ‘Miss Eva’ me,” the other woman scolded. “You’re a young woman and you’re far too pretty to hide away with the Browns for the rest of your life. One of these days one of those freed men will come through these backwoods and sweep you out of here.”
“A free man of color,” Willow murmured. She tried to visualize it, but the only face that came to mind belonged to Thor. While amalgamation was known, it certainly was not encouraged. She released another deep sigh and frowned. The complications of life never ceased to diminish. Here it was the first time she ever envisioned marriage and a man of her own, and it was someone she wasn’t free to have. Even in love, freedom was elusive.